The situation surrounding the Italian national team is surreal, bordering on the absurd. A tangle of events that feels more like a Salvador Dali painting than normal sports planning. Yet, it’s all real.
The arrival of Maldini and Leonardo seemed to mark the right turning point. Two highly experienced executives, used to working at the highest level and with a clear footballing identity. Their mission was clear: to relaunch the national team starting with the choice of the new head coach.
The first move was extremely ambitious. The target was Pep Guardiola, probably the best coach in the world. It was a major attempt, but destined to clash with the Catalan manager’s desire to take a sabbatical year to focus on his family and regain personal balance after his years in Manchester.
A painful rejection, but ultimately a predictable one.
An embarrassment
What no one could have imagined, however, was the failure of plan B. Andrea Pirlo had made himself available to lead the Azzurri and the negotiations seemed well underway. Then, suddenly, everything came to a halt.
The deal collapsed due to controversy over his collaboration with a Russian betting company. And so, after thinking a rather straightforward deal was done, the result was yet another setback. A very painful one.
And this is probably the hardest part. Not so much because of Pirlo’s name, but because of the way the agreement fell through. A deal that was practically finalised fell apart over a detail that should have been considered long before any optimism was allowed to leak out.
A step back
A double misstep that inevitably weakens the position of Maldini and Leonardo. Also because Italy has already been through difficult years, marked by the nightmare of missing three consecutive World Cups. A show of strength was needed to convey the idea of a Federation finally organised.
So far, the exact opposite has happened.
At this point, it’s necessary to understand what the next move will be. If the president of the FIGC, Giovanni Malago, decides to hand the bench to one of the big names still available, like Antonio Conte or Roberto Mancini, it would be hard to imagine Maldini and Leonardo still at the centre of the project.
It’s difficult to think that coaches of this calibre would accept being the third choice after Guardiola and Pirlo.
If that’s the case, it wouldn’t be surprising to see the two executives step aside, effectively opening the door to a new technical revolution within just a few weeks.
The Baldini option
The only real card they seem to have left is Silvio Baldini. A different solution, focusing on knowledge of Italian football and young players, also gained through his work with the under-21s.
The idea would be to replicate, at least in intention, models like Scaloni with Argentina or De la Fuente with Spain, though with all the necessary differences.
There’s another aspect not to be underestimated. Baldini would be a less binding solution in the medium term. If in a year’s time Guardiola really does open up to the idea of coaching a national team, it would be much easier to revisit the project - especially if it hasn’t yet taken off - than it would be with a high-profile coach like Conte or Mancini.
Whatever the final choice, one thing is certain: after two failed attempts, the Federation can no longer afford any more mistakes. The next step must be the definitive one and, above all, the right one.
Because the Italian national team and its fans finally deserve a fresh start worthy of their history.